Life is Beautiful
by Starwarshobbitfics
Summary: Following the birth of Lux and Ahsoka's grandchildren, this story follows the extended family's Christmas reunion 6 years later. Many things have occurred in that time span, all good. A oneshot with a bit of humor and some heartwarming moments.


**Saturday, December 3rd, 2016**

The first thing Ahsoka saw upon waking up were large eyes starting back at her. She panicked for a second, then realized it was her 14-year old cat, Aayla. "Well, good morning to you too, kitty ! You hungry ?"

Slowly but surely, the 53-year old Togrutan woman rose out of bed, putting on her kimono before plodding downstairs to give the cat its breakfast. Lux, now 54, was already showered and clothed. The television was on the news channel. The media surrounding the newly elected President, Donald Trump, was never-ending.

Ahsoka groaned as she saw the man on television. "For Force's Sake, Lux, are they ever going to stop talking about him ? It seems everyday, they unveil some new revelation about his past and all. Enough already !"

Lux just slumped his shoulders, yawning a bit. "That's the media for you, 'Soka. They always over-dramatize things. We both voted for Clinton when the time came…While I share the initial disappointment with you, I think everyone is judging him far too early. We may end up surprised. Trump isn't one to one to "sugar-coat" his comments. Maybe this is the change our country needed… for better or worse."

Their conversation was cut off when they heard some scratching at the patio doors. "Oh… now he wants back in already." Lux opened the door to allow Snootles, their 2-year old Miniature Schnauzer, inside. "Hey, hey, hey ! You know the rules, buddy. We gotta clean your paws before you step on the floor. Sit. Stay. Good boy !"

Lux knelt down and wiped the snow from the dog's paws. Once Snootles was cleaned, he ran off to meet with Aayla. Usually, a dog and a cat wouldn't get along, but these two knew their limits and neither tried to push the other's "buttons". Following Obi's loss back in 2001, 13 years later, the couple felt the house needed a bit more life than the cat.

While Daniel still resided with his parents, he had graduated from college with a degree in Civil Engineering. He lucked out in getting a job from the Mayor's Office, helping to design important infrastructure for the city. Mina and Travis were successful with their private accounting firm, Blank & Bonteri Accounting. Mina had chosen to keep her maiden name when it came to her business. While the majority of her clients gave her odd looks because of her unusual appearance, they quickly got used to it after the initial meeting session.

The young couple, now in their '30s, were also proud parents. Anakin and Padmé, were now over 6 years old. The twins began their 1st grade education back in September and were doing well so far. They quickly came to associate December with Christmas and were always looking forward to see their grandparents on their mother's side. Of course, "Grandma 'Soka" as they would call her, wasn't one to hesitate to spoil her grandchildren rotten during the holiday season. Not to say that Burt and Linda didn't spoil them too, they did… often just as badly.

Ahsoka sipped her coffee while opening her tablet computer to see what was new with Kayla, whom she kept contact with constantly. She soon turned her attention to Lux. "Well, today's the day, Lux. Last weekend, we decorated outside the house. This weekend, we're doing the interior decorations… including the Christmas Tree."

Lux face-palmed. "I really don't mind the decorating and all, but must we acquire a new tree every year ? Why can't we just buy a plastic one and save ourselves a bit of hassle ?"

Ahsoka raised an marking, giving him "the look". "Now where's the fun in that ? How can you not like the aroma of a fresh pine tree ?"

Lux gave her an odd look. "Guess there's no changing your mind huh ? Very well. After your shower and all, we'll go shopping for one."

Half an hour later, they were at a local tree farm and were picking one amongst many. Ahsoka had brought along a small chainsaw and was about to cut it down. Before doing so, she shoved her left and right lekku into her winter coat to avoid cutting them by accident, which would probably be excruciatingly painful for her. "Ok, hold the tree for me." A minute later and they had a tree of their own.

She tied the tree to the top of her car. She checked to make sure it was well attached. "Seems good. Let's go home."

Halfway through the busiest intersection, the tree just had to loosen up and tumble down the road. Ahsoka hit the brakes once she saw it rolling on the road.

Lux had missed the sight. "What in the world are you doing ?! You can't just brake like that in heavy traffic !"

She began to back up "In case you missed it, our tree fell off, I'm going to get it back !"

Lux did a double-take. "W-WHAT ?! ARE YOU CRAZY ?!"

Ahsoka snorted a laugh at his remark. "Maybe I am… Hey, they'll get out of the way…" As she backed up towards the tree, all other cars swerved around her. Many drivers honked their displeasure loudly. She quickly got out, used the Force to pull the tree towards her and tied it again to the top, this time much more tightly. "See ? No harm done…" As she was resuming her driving, she had almost caused several accidents.

Lux face-palmed. "To think I married the craziest Togruta in the Galaxy ! Was it really worth all that trouble ? A lot of drivers weren't impressed by your stunt, 'Soka !"

She smiled to him. "What can I say ? I am one with the Yuletide, know what I mean ?"

Lux face-palmed some more. "You're quoting Ernest now ? Oh, please !"

She turned to him. "So? Oh, come on ! Don't be such a Scrooge ! How can you not like Ernest ? His Christmas movie had everything… Santa Claus, Flying Reindeer, Helper Elves and some of his best acts as the snake handler guy and the old lady with bandages all over."

Lux chuckled. "Don't forget the Governor's assistant when he went to free Santa from jail."

She almost choked in her laughter. "Oh Force ! When all the inmates were singing Christmas carols at Santa's command, that was hilarious !"

Half an hour later, they finally arrived back home. Ahsoka quickly arranged the living room to accommodate the tree. Lux went into the attic for the tree decorations. They spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening to complete everything.

They took a step back and admired their work. "You know, I may grumble now and then when it comes to decorating, but once it's all finished, it looks great." Lux couldn't pass an opportunity to embrace his wife.

She turned her gaze to him, tired of her day yet smiling. "The kids and grandkids will appreciate it."

Daniel entered, tired and hungry. "Hey Mom, hey Dad ! Woah ! You guys already got the tree set up and everything. Had I known you were planning to do this, I would have stayed and helped out."

Lux was definitely proud of how responsible Daniel became. Ever since he got his job with the city, he's been applying himself to everything he did. He used to grumble about chores around the house. Nowadays, he didn't mind helping his parents to keep the house clean. He would often offer to pay for a round of groceries to show his appreciation for them.

 **Saturday, December 24** **th**

Once again, Ahsoka and Lux were chosen to host the family dinner.

But there was still some dusting to do. Ahsoka gathered her dusting cloth and made a beeline towards the stereo system. "Music will make this task way more pleasant."

Lux shot a smirk towards her. "And no doubt you'll play some heavy metal album as always."

"Not a full album, per say. Just a song that fits with this time of year." She picked out a specific CD.

Lux raised an eyebrow. "They have heavy metal songs about Christmas ? That's… unexpected."

She chuckled a bit. "What's even more surprising is that the artist was going for a joke, but it ended up being one of his best hits."

Lux scratched the back of his neck. "And who is the artist in question ?"

"King Diamond." She answered.

"Oh ! The Danish guy with the funny voice. He did a song about Christmas ? Really ?"

Ahsoka pressed "play" on the stereo. "Really." The song in question was "No Presents for Christmas".

Christmas time is here again  
Santa needs a helping hand  
He cannot find a single sheep  
To draw his sleigh across the night  
So all the waiting Christmas trees  
Gonna hear the master say

There's no presents not this Christmas  
There's no presents  
Tom and Jerry drinking sherry  
They don't give a damn

Christmas time is here again  
Santa needs a helping hand  
It's getting very very late  
Saint peter's closed the golden gate  
And Donald Duck is still in bed  
I wonder who is gonna help

There's no presents  
Not this Christmas  
There's no presents  
Tom and Jerry  
All that sherry  
They don't give a damn

There's no presents  
Not this Christmas  
There's no presents  
Tom and Jerry  
Still drinking sherry  
They don't give a damn

I'm dreaming of a white sabbath

Lux just stood in awe as Ahsoka dusted along with the rapid beat and guitar chords accompanying the silly lyrics. "Well, I'll be. He even threw in Tom & Jerry and Donald Duck in there ! Those lyrics are hilarious, 'Soka !"

She laughed a bit. "Imagine my reaction when I first heard it. I stood between been amazed and laughing at the silliness of the lyrics."

Lux shook his head. "I still don't get how you came to like this type of music…"

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders. "All it took was one listen. I liked what I heard, so I delved deeper into it, discovering so many amazing artists."

Around 5 pm, Travis and Mina arrived with the children. Snootles was always excited to see visitors, wagging his tail and yapping like crazy. By 6, Burt and Linda made their appearances. Everyone took a seat and began their dinner. Anakin and Padmé were quite fond of Lux's Sweet BBQ sauce. Lux wanted to wow everyone this year and brought out a couple of bottles of 2004 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio all'oro, a highly expensive Italian wine that he's been holding in his wine collection. He had decanted the wine a couple of hours prior to serving. As expected, the wine was stupendous.

After 45 minutes of eating, Anakin and Padmé were bored and needed some distraction. They tugged at Ahsoka's sleeve. "Grandma 'Soka, can we watch the Christmas cartoon, please ?"

Ahsoka rose up, not minding her grandchildren's request in the least. "Of course, children. Grandma will get everything ready for you two, now come along." Ahsoka lead them to the living room, setting up their spot and went through her old VHS collection, took out the animated feature of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch stole Christmas" VHS tape. Quickly rewinding the tape, the grandchildren sat back and watched the cartoon while enjoying chocolate chip cookies with a small glass of milk.

Back on the table, the adults were discussing recent events such as Travis and Mina's business, Daniel's work with the city, Lux's struggles with the current iPhone and iPad designs, Burt and Ahsoka's frustrations at the garage… and finally it ended up on the topic of Donald Trump. While everyone had different views about the new President, they all agreed he should be given a chance to prove himself before jumping to many conclusions.

After a couple of hours of eating and drinking, most were a bit too drunk to head out, so Lux and Ahsoka arranged sleeping spots for all. Over the next morning, they would serve an exquisite brunch and also unwrap the presents. Usually, the presents were unwrapped on the evening of the 24th, but since Anakin and Padmé fell asleep not long after they watched the cartoon several times, they were put to bed in Mina's old room. Sleeping bags and extra mattresses were provided for the two guest couples.

 **Sunday, December 25** **th**

Morning came, and the twins were soon awake. They carefully walked downstairs to meet with their parents. Padmé woke Mina while Anakin roused Travis from his sleep.

Mina groggily opened her eyes. "Uhhnnn… Oh… Mornin', sweetie ! You slept well ?"

Padmé nodded. "Uh, uh. Are we opening presents, Mommy ?"

Mina could only snort a laugh at her child. "We'll wait for the Grandmas and Grandpas to wake up. Is that ok with you, sweetie ?"

Their attention turned to Ahsoka, whom was struggling to go down the stairs. "Hmmm… Oh… My head… We must have drank quite a bit last night ?"

Mina stood up and walked over to the counter. "Geez ! No kidding, Mom ! We really boozed it up ! Look at this !" Mina pointed to all the empty bottles on the counter.

Ahsoka blinked and shook her head. "6 bottles of wine ? We went through 6 BOTTLES ?! Ok… we'll behave ourselves today, for sure !"

Lux almost tripped down the stairs. "So most of us are all nursing hangovers this morning ? Sounds like fun !"

Finally, Burt and Linda woke up, as groggy as everybody else. Burt felt the back of his head. "Huh ? Oh yeah, we spent the night here. Oh, hey ! Grandkids, you know what today is, huh ?"

Both Anakin and Padmé bubbled with excitement. "Christmas ! Christmas ! Yay !"

Ahsoka knelt before the tree, scanning the various presents. "Ok… let's see what Santa brought for us all, huh ?" She picked one up at random. "Anakin, this one's for you !"

Anakin quickly tore through the wrapping. "YES ! Super Mario Maker ! Me and Padmé can make our own levels ! Cool !"

Ahsoka reached again under the tree. "Padmé… here's one for you, sweetie."

Padmé squealed out of joy, almost crying. "Snuggles, the Dream Puppy ?! Oh, wow ! I love him already !"

It was Lux's turn to dive for random presents. "Dan ? Here's one for you."

Daniel sat on the couch, slowly unwrapping it. "Oh wow ! A carton box ! I _always_ wanted one of these !"

The two children looked at their uncle like he was crazy. Mina swatted her brother on the shoulder. "Smart aleck ! Just open it up, huh ?"

Daniel opened it up and his eyes were big as planets. "Hah ! My Super Ghouls n' Ghosts cart from eBay ! I was wondering if it had gotten lost in the mail !"

Lux handed an envelope to Ahsoka. "I have a feeling you'll be pleasantly surprised, dear."

Ahsoka tore open the envelope, raising her eye markings. "Oh ho ho ! A 200$ Gift Certificate from Ken the Bug Guy ! I definitely know what I'll do with it !"

Lux offered a large box to Burt and Linda. They were given a Keurig coffee brewer.

Burt rubbed his hands in glee. "So much coffee to try. I can tell we'll have fun with this ! Thanks, fellas !"

Burt and Linda's gift to Lux and Ahsoka was one they never expected : A full-expense paid week vacation to Jamaica.

Ahsoka hugged her boss. "That is just… Next year, you guys will get this kind of gift ! Promise !"

Lux opened up a box for him. "Goodness Gracious ! The Balvenie 21 year old Port Wood Scotch Whiskey !" He turned to Ahsoka, whispering to her montrals. "Can't say I saw that coming at all ! Thank you, dear !"

Everyone had their gifts and were greatly pleased. Even Snootles had new chew toys and Aayla was given a new scratch post. Ahsoka looked up to her invertebrate collection. There were only 5 animals, but all stood out for various reasons. With Bertha, Chewbacca, Shelob, Taz and Skittles long gone, Rex, her Mexican Fireleg tarantula, was her oldest in the collection currently. So she acquired a Chilean Rose named Steela, a Brazilian Giant White Knee named Satine, an Indian Ornamental named Chuchi and last but not least, a Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion named Grievous. The last was held under lock and key since its venom was lethal. So she stopped at Paula's Pet Shop a few days prior and purchased 5 Madagascar Hissing roaches. Much larger and more filling than their smaller South American cousins. All 5 took their extra-large prey with gusto, impressing the curious onlookers.

During the later part of the morning, brunch was served. It comprised of eggs, bacon, ham, sausages, toasts, pancakes and fruits. While the adults enjoyed their morning coffee, the children were given orange juice. After dinner, they spent some time hanging out in the living room, either watching movies or playing games. Later after the guests left, Lux, Ahsoka and Daniel worked together to clean up the house. After their chores were done, they had earned a good night's rest.

As the New Year was on the horizon, new experiences to come would enrich their lives to the fullest. The two shared a kiss as the clock struck at midnight.

 **And here ends my last oneshot for a good while. From next week, I will be unavailable. I need a good, long break. I can't say when I'll return… A big thanks to Lux's Sister, Johnt12345 and David Davies 5851 in particular for their continuous support and amazing reviews. I'm hoping others will also appreciate my writing. Granted, my stories tend to be "unusual" since I wanted to do very different things to stand out. Feel free to review.**


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